The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
This nearly silent French animated film is a visual feast of delightful oddities. The story follows Madame Souza, a determined elderly woman who, with her faithful dog Bruno, embarks on a quest to rescue her cyclist grandson after he's kidnapped during
the Tour de France. Her journey takes her to a strange metropolis where she teams up with three aging music hall singers. The connection to Popeye lies in its unique, exaggerated art style and the unwavering tenacity of its underdog heroes. Madame Souza, with her club foot and unbreakable will, is a brilliant stand-in for Popeye, proving that immense strength comes from love and loyalty, not just bulging biceps.
The City of Lost Children (1995)
From the director of 'Amelie' comes a much darker, steampunk fairy tale set in a surreal harbor city. A scientist named Krank kidnaps children to steal their dreams, as he is incapable of having his own. When his little brother is taken, a simple-minded circus strongman named One (played by a fantastic Ron Perlman) sets out to get him back. One is pure Popeye: not the sharpest tool in the shed, but fiercely loyal and possessing incredible strength driven by a simple, powerful love for his family. The grimy, sea-soaked setting feels like a nightmarish version of Sweethaven, populated by clones, a disembodied brain, and other marvelously weird characters.
Go West (1925)
Long before Popeye ever mumbled “I yam what I yam,” Buster Keaton perfected the art of the stone-faced underdog. In this silent comedy, Keaton plays a hapless drifter named “Friendless” who finds work on a cattle ranch. He’s comically inept at every cowboy task but forms a powerful, heartfelt bond with a cow named Brown Eyes. The film’s brilliant slapstick, culminating in a chaotic cattle drive through the streets of Los Angeles, is pure physical comedy that predates the brawls of Popeye and Bluto. Friendless is the ultimate little guy against the world, a reluctant hero who triumphs through sheer, clumsy persistence.
Tampopo (1985)
Billed as the first “ramen western,” this Japanese gem is a love letter to food and community. A pair of truck drivers, the gruff Goro and his young sidekick, roll into town and decide to help a widowed mother, Tampopo, perfect her ramen recipe and save her struggling noodle shop. Goro is a classic wandering hero, a tough guy who dedicates himself to helping a damsel in distress—not for romance, but because it’s the right thing to do. Like Popeye, he’s a man of action who uses his worldly knowledge to protect and uplift the little guy, facing down local thugs and culinary challenges with equal grit.
Waterworld (1995)
Stay with me on this one. Famously panned upon release, 'Waterworld' has since become a cult classic for good reason. It is, in essence, a massive, grungy Popeye adventure. Kevin Costner plays The Mariner, a grumpy, cynical loner who sails the endless ocean of a post-apocalyptic Earth. He mumbles, he gets into spectacular brawls on his salvaged trimaran (a stand-in for the Sea Hag's ship), and he reluctantly becomes the protector of a woman and a child who hold the key to a fabled paradise, “Dryland.” The film's practical effects and water-logged world-building are incredible, and The Mariner’s grudging journey from selfish outcast to hero is pure Popeye.
Down by Law (1986)
This deadpan comedy from director Jim Jarmusch follows three mismatched losers—a DJ (Tom Waits), a pimp (John Lurie), and a bubbly Italian tourist (Roberto Benigni)—who are thrown into a Louisiana jail cell together. Their eventual escape and trek through the bayou is a hilarious, meandering adventure. While tonally different from Popeye’s frenetic cartoons, the film’s charm lies in the chemistry of its central trio of outcasts. They’re scrappy, they bicker endlessly, and they survive by their wits and a strange sort of loyalty. It captures the feeling of Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Wimpy stumbling their way through a bizarre situation, bound by circumstance and little else.
I Am What I Am (2021)
This stunningly animated Chinese film captures the heart of the underdog. It tells the story of Gyun, a bullied and unassuming young man in a rural village who is inspired to take up the traditional art of lion dancing. He assembles a team of fellow misfits, and together they train for a major championship, facing ridicule and their own self-doubt along the way. The film is a pure, unadulterated ode to the fighting spirit. Gyun’s journey from a nobody to a master of his craft, fueled by a desire to prove himself and honor his community, is the modern embodiment of Popeye’s “I’m strong to the finich, 'cause I eats me spinach” ethos.
